One of a Kind
by BlytheHasFreckles
Summary: Alvin and Brittany are butting heads...again. So how will they settle their new squabble? Simple: Through a small set of challenges, of course! It's Brittany Vs Alvin in the fight to see who will reign victorious! Who will win? ...and will it really matter in the end? AxB
1. You're Stepping On My Toes Again!

**Hello friend-os :)  
This is my first official fanfic, so try your hardest to be kind to lil ol' me. This has been brewing in my mind for a while, and I really wanted to get it out on paper (finally!) so here I go.**

*As mentioned in my profile, I write the characters to be in cartoon-verse at all times.  
Perhaps one day I'll write a CGI version fanfic, but not this one. :)  
**Characters are all their usual ages that they are in the cartoon, so about nine or ten.  
***I do NOT own Alvin and the Chipmunks. I only own the plot line.

Chapter one: You're stepping on my toes!

Saturday night in Los Angeles and once again, there they were on another stage. Dave had suggested a few days back that they'd been gathering an audience from the Northeast, and since they had a gradually inclining popularity, they should get used to performing more often than in two-week intervals to appease the fanbase. Also, by popular demand they would now be performing with the Chipettes as an added bonus; in fact, the girls have practically been living with them. Of course, they were used to rooming with the chipmunks, so this wouldn't be the first time it's happened.

That night, each Chipmunk danced with their counterpart as they all sang the lyrics to Journey's hit song, Don't Stop Believin' and they all seemed to be enjoying the performance, except for one chipette whose toes were being constantly stepped on.

"Ow! OW! Alvin!" Whispered Brittany harshly, "You're stepping on my toes again! Quit it!"

"Sorry, Brittany." Responded Alvin quietly and apologetically, "I'm trying not to!"

"Well you're not doing a good job! OW!"

Alvin and Brittany danced to the rhythm of the music just as they had rehearsed for weeks prior to the concerts. However, Brittany wasn't enjoying herself quite as much as she usually does. Alvin's feet were continuously stepping on hers, which had never happened before! Alvin, the one out of the Chipmunk trio that had the swiftest feet, was gradually crushing her metatarsal bones one by one.

"I'm serious, Alvin! Quit it!" She scolded quietly, "I mean it!"

"I'm not trying to!" He quietly responded, "It's these new shoes...!"

**A few days earlier:**

As expected, Alvin was happy to oblige once he got the news about their growing fame. And for days after that, Alvin was focused on one thing and one thing only: his image. Although he was never one to fully enjoy clothing shopping, he spent the next few days shopping for his new look. In fact, he did so much shopping, it was almost as if he'd turned into the male version of Brittany!

"No... no... nada...nope..." groaned Alvin as he tried on different pairs of shoes, rejecting every pair he'd try on and tossing them all back into their boxes. It had already been an hour and Alvin was still in the same section of the department store. He was having no luck with finding the right shoes. It was the last stop the Sevilles would make before leaving the mall after a day's worth of shopping for the Saturday concert and the most important stop in Alvin's eyes.

Earlier in the week, Alvin had noticed a few small holes torn into the tips of his shoes. The shoes he'd been wearing for so long were becoming old and outdated. This simply wouldn't do. Alvin was a rockstar! Rockstars can't be old and outdated! Rockstars don't wear old shoes! If he'd spent the day buying new clothes, he couldn't wear them with old shoes! He needed shoes that would call attention; shoes that would make him look cooler and more in style than anybody his age. The type of shoes that would make him appear taller and more desirable to the ladies. Ones that would scream ALVIN SEVILLE! What he needed was a pair of 'wow' shoes! True rockstar shoes!

"Alvin... It's 7:30! We've been here for such a long time!" Whined Theodore, "We missed dinner...a-and I'm so hungry!"

"He's right, Alvin." Agreed Simon wearily, "Can't you just come back some other time to find shoes or something? We've walked around the entire mall today and we're exhausted! Look! Dave's asleep!" He directed Alvin's attention to the other side of the room where Dave sat, folded and slumped lazily in a leather fitting chair, gently snoring and twitching a bit. As if work and being a father of three didn't take up enough of Dave's energy. Poor Dave had been hauling their shopping bags around the Los Angeles mall since noon.

"Just one more! Promise!" begged Alvin, who rifled through another shoebox and was trying on yet another pair.

Groans filled the room. Simon stood up, his fists clenched tightly to his sides, "You said that an hour ago!"

"I'm SO close to finding the right ones, Simon!" Pleaded Alvin, kicking off his latest pair of unsatisfactory shoes, "I must find them! Do you know how many people from New York City will probably be attending our concert on Saturday?! Talent agencies, photographers, famous actors and actresses?! This is important business!"

Simon rolled his eyes in response. "I would expect this kind of thing from Brittany, but never you, Alvin."

Another twenty minutes had passed and the pile of rejected shoes and shoe boxes was beginning to accumulate and take up most of the floor!

Dave snored loudly, having been asleep for close to an hour already. Simon's patience wore dangerously thin and he'd finally had it. "That's is IT! We're going home now! Forget your stupid shoes! The mall's going to close soon!" He scolded, taking Alvin by the arm, "We're going home!"

"Wait! Wait! I was just about to find them! Simon! Simon let g-" And that when Alvin saw them. The perfect pair of shoes. His eyes widened to plate size proportions; there they were on a tall platform across the room, practically begging for him to wear them. They were gear high-tops, yellow and black and waiting for his feet, and his feet only, to walk in them. In that moment he stood gazing at this must-have pair of miracle footwear, he imagined himself walking in them in the streets. He could just see himself attracting attention from every bright-eyed female as far as he could see, causing them to flock to him immediately, screaming out his name dreamily and fanatically. _Alvin! Oh Alvin!_ They cooed, surrounding him and caressing his cheeks. In his daydreams, of course he was the most irresistible thing to women since the invention of chocolate; with his unmatched, superior physique and one-of-a-kind style, he was the very definition of heartthrob. At least in HIS mind, he was...

With his new daydreams still fresh in his mind, he immediately pulled himself out of Simon's grasp and raced up to the shelf, ravenously tugging the shoes down and sped to the register, "I'll take these in a size six please." He then sat and waited patiently for the shoe department employee to return to him for the hundredth time with his magical new shoes, daydreaming about how tough he was going to look walking around in them. Nobody would want to mess with bad-boy Alvin Seville with these shoes on, no sir!

When she came back, she didn't have a shoebox in her hands, much to his dismay, "Sorry, but we only have those shoes in size five or nine...We've almost completely run out of stock for those."

Alvin's heart sank. He'd finally found the right shoes for his new look and now they didn't even have his size! "If you'd like, we could order them for you in the mail... Unfortunately, they'll arrive in about two weeks because there are so many people who-"

"TWO WEEKS?!" Exclaimed Alvin, "But I need them for Saturday! What am I supposed to-" Just then, he got an idea, "Did you say that you have these shoes in a size five?"

"Yes"

"Then I'll take 'em! Size five, please!"

"Are you sure, sir? That's a size lower-"

Alvin charmingly took the lady's hand and stroked it, "My dear lady. Alvin Seville is always sure when it comes to such important matters~"

Upon finally leaving the mall, he'd bought the magical pair of bad-boy shoes and was now wearing them out of the store. They may have been a size lower than what he was comfortable with, but he was convinced he'd get used to the pain.

Yes, they may have made each of his feet weigh an extra few pounds, made him walk strangely, made him look much too tall and lanky, and were fantastically uncomfortable and awkward, but they sure looked awesome on him. Well, in HIS opinion they did, anyway...

From the day he'd bought them, Alvin didn't take them off for the days following (except for the occasional shower, of course). He'd even wear them to sleep!****

Friday:

"Alvin," Dave sighed, "Maybe you should take it easy with those shoes. They don't look comfortable at all... Perhaps you should find some other ones-"

"No, Dave! These shoes are totally comfortable! Promise!" Alvin quickly reassured as he walked in circles with them.

"Alright, Alvin... But if you can't get used to those shoes by tomorrow night, I can't let you dance at the concert tomorrow. You know that." Dave got up off the couch and headed to the kitchen to help Theodore and Eleanor prepare dinner.

Alvin was in awe; these new shoes were da bomb-diggity. He stopped walking and looked down at the shoes, smiling at his reflection in the metal toe boxes.

"Getting used to these will be a walk in the park!" said Alvin confidently.

He strode forward, looking up at the ceiling and thinking about how much closer he was to reaching it with these stilt-like shoes on. He was going to make this work, even if he had to walk around in them all day! As he rocked back and forth on his heels, he imagined himself sauntering confidently down a well-groomed red carpet into the grand entrance of the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, constantly being stopped by several photographers and record company producers, begging to sign him as a new rockstar and asking him where he got those incredible new shoes.

_"Alvin! Alvin, if you'd just give me a moment of your time!"_

_"Alvin! How would you like to be a star?"_

_"Mr. Seville! We want to put you on the front cover of the Rolling Stones Magazine!"_

_"Alvin! What do you have to say about those hip new shoes?"_

Before he was consciously aware of it, he accidentally ran into a table, stubbing his toe. He let out a whimper. "Ow! Ow ow ow!" Almost instantly, the sting shot its way up his ankle, inducing the formation of tears in the corners of his eyes. Simon stood in the doorway, smirking, taking slight enjoyment from his brother's clumsiness.

"By the looks of it, I don't believe those 'awesome new shoes' of yours are quite as comfortable as you make them out to be," he remarked as he walked into the room, "in fact, they look agonizingly tight on you... why is that?" He began untying Alvin's right shoe.

Alvin winced. "Hey hey hey! Don't do that! They're not painful-"

"Whoa," interjected a wide-eyed Simon as he pulled Alvin's right shoe and sock off, revealing a series of swollen blisters forming around the sides of his feet, "Well this looks...rather nightmarish... exactly how far are you planning to go just to make people admire your new 'image?'"

Alvin shook his head slowly in response and sighed dramatically, "You have no idea..."

Just then, Theodore entered the room with Eleanor. The two of them had been in the kitchen preparing chicken pot pies for dinner, which is one of Theodore and Eleanor's favorite dishes to prepare together. They'd made a habit of cooking together since they've spent most of their free time practicing the dance routines for the upcoming concerts. "Hey!" chirped Eleanor, "What're you guys up to?"

"Well, Alvin's 'awesome new shoes' are turning out to be a negative investment." Said Simon blankly, "look what they're doing to his feet!" Simon held Alvin's foot up to show the two, and they reacted similarly to Simon's reaction.

"Ooh Ouch!" responded Eleanor, cringing.

"Alvin! You shouldn't wear those if they hurt! Just look what they're doing to your feet!" added a worried Theodore, "If Dave sees your feet, he won't want you to dance at our concert tomorrow night!"

"Especially not in THOSE shoes!" replied Simon.

Alvin grabbed his sock and shoe back from Simon and hastily put them back on, feeling slightly embarrassed, "Oh come on, you guys! I just haven't broken them in yet, that's all! Don't ALL new shoes hurt your feet until you get used to them?"

"Well yes, but never like that! It's like they're the wrong size!" exclaimed Simon, "Can't you just go back and trade them in for a different size? Perhaps your feet have grown out of a size six. Did you even bother trying them on?"

"They didn't have my size..." mumbled Alvin, "so I got the size lower..."

Everyone in the room groaned. Predictable Alvin, they all thought**.**

"You're wearing a size five? Alvin!" Simon pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, "We have to return those now."

"No way! I'm keeping them and that's final!" Argued Alvin stubbornly, crossing his legs on the couch, "You're just jealous because they look great on me!"

"Yeah," replied Simon sarcastically, "I'm totally jealous."

Back on stage, Saturday Night:

At first, Brittany understood why Alvin was so hyped up about a simple pair of shoes. If there ever was a person who understood the importance of image and style, it was her. So naturally, she didn't argue when Alvin began showing up to practice dancing with the new shoes he'd idolized. He was trying to create a fresh new image, and that was fine. However, the problem came when Alvin began to dance with her. He was terrible! He missed dance cues and looked clumsy and out of rhythm...but worst of all, he'd made a habit of stepping on her feet!

To deal with the problem, Brittany began to wrap her feet up with gauze where it began to bruise and made sure to wear boots more often to avoid the obvious clues that her feet were black and blue. She yelled and lectured at Alvin to cut the carelessness and at one point even begged him to take off those terrible shoes, but of course, he refused. The debut of his new shoes was important! His impression on his audience needed to be golden.

"Eek! ALVIN!" screeched Brittany, her toes throbbing from being crushed under Alvin's two left feet, "Is it just me, or have your dancing skills gotten even worse since yesterday?"

Alvin quickly hushed her, "Shh! They have not!"

"It's because of those stupid shoes of yours!" She retaliated, "Take them off!"

"No way! You leave the shoes out of this!"

"Doesn't it bother you to know that your dancing looks ridiculous when you wear those things?"

Alvin scoffed, "Well at least it's good to know that I'm not as bad as you!"

Brittany's voice grew harsher, "You know better than I do that I'm the better dancer here!"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, really! You dance worse than a donkey with one leg!"

"Well you dance like a girl! Oh wait! You are a girl! Guess that explains it."

The two were at it again; beginning another one of their usual petty fights.

"Don't kid yourself, Seville! I always have been and always will be better than you!"

"At what?"

"At everything!"

"Yeah, right! There's no way you can beat me at even one competition."

"You wanna bet?"

"As a matter of fact, I do!"

"Fine! Then we'll settle this-" challenged Brittany before once again being stepped on by Alvin's unruly shoes. She hissed through her teeth, "If you step on my toes one more time, I swear I'll-"

_Crunch._

Brittany bit her lip in response to the crippling pain that overwhelmed her. That was the last straw. She was done with being stepped on.

"That's it! THAT'S IT! Stop the music!"

The pink-clad chipette stopped dead in the center of the stage, halting the music and instantly silencing the audience. She was fuming, "Alvin. Seville." She pointed directly at him, "This means war."

Nobody moved. The concert hall went silent.

"I'm challenging you to a bet!"


	2. Just Improvise!

**Hey friend-os! Second chappy is up and yeah, it's a little long... but hopefully you guys like it! There's a little TxE in it (cause I'm a Theonor fan). Enjoy! **

**-Blythe 3**

Alvin moved to the center of the stage and stood across from Brittany, arms crossed, eyes gleaming, "Oh yeah? And what will that be, hmm? What's your little challenge going to be, princess? Are you gonna challenge me to a shop-a-thon?"

His snide remark was acid to her ears, "No," she spat, "I'm going to challenge you to your own abilities. We'll see who takes the upper hand."

The crowd stirred a bit, confused, whispering and chattering with each other about what was going on onstage and if it was supposed to be part of the entertainment. Meanwhile, Dave was frozen as he watched the scene unfold from backstage. What were they doing? This wasn't what he'd planned for the evening! They were supposed to dance and sing to the numbers they were given! The ones they _rehearsed_! He flipped hurriedly through the pages of his clipboard, anxiety-ridden. Right after they sang Don't Stop Believin', they were _supposed_ to immediately start to sing and dance to Footloose by Kenny Loggins. What were they doing?!

"And just what do you mean by _'my own abilities?_' Are you planning to have a sing-off?" pried Alvin, less than impressed, "Ha! You really expect to be better than me at what I do best?"

"You underestimate me, Seville," remarked a very confident Brittany, "In case you've forgotten, I have beaten you at a few things you thought you'd be better at!"

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Why, Alvin! You haven't forgotten how much of a better football player I am than you, have you? Don't you remember the time I took your place as quarterback?"

The crowd immediately responded, snickering and laughing at the possibility of the beautiful diva Brittany Miller being a rough-tough grass-stained quarterback and especially the possibility of her being a better football player than Alvin! Alvin's cheeks flushed with humiliation.

"Well I think you're misplacing the fact that you're _not_ as popular as you think you are!"

"What are you talking about?" Brittany crossed her arms, "How could you possibly tell which of us is more popular?"

Alvin laughed, "How about the time you and I ran against each other for class president and I won?"

There came a hushed "ooh" from the audience. Brittany wrinkled her nose in annoyance, recalling the memory in her mind. "That doesn't count! My _sister_ was the one who determined that vote, in case you forgot!"

"Oh, well it looks like I'm more popular with your sisters, too!" Alvin cackled.

Brittany balled her hands into tight fists, stepping closer to him, "You certainly aren't!"

Jeanette sighed in annoyance. Ever since that election, she'd gotten constant grief from Brittany about how disloyal it was to have voted against her. All Jeanette wanted was to choose the candidate that was more familiar with the school! It had nothing to do with her loyalty to her siblings or Brittany, but rather choosing who was more fit to be the class president...and Brittany just wasn't. However, that didn't matter anymore. Perhaps she should've voted for Brittany in order to save herself from the grief Brittany would put her through in the future. "You guys! Quit it! Can't you two just settle this later?" Squeaked Jeanette shyly, making sure to stay out of the fight. She looked at Eleanor, unsure of what to do in this situation. When Brittany got like this, it was almost impossible to separate her from her opponent until she won.

The spectators were so mesmerized by the argument, they'd forgotten that they'd paid for a concert rather than a boxing match! From the side of the stage, Theodore took notice of the crowd's fixation in his oldest brother's fight with his pink-clad counterpart and quickly nudged Simon, "S-simon! The audience!"

Simon had also been too fixated on the fight to notice the audience's response. Quickly, he moved to the center of the stage, "Alvin, Brittany... Just drop it, okay?" He looked at the audience, then back at his brother and Brittany and whispered, "Need I remind you two that we have an audience to entertain?"

"Good! That's excellent!" growled Brittany, "I'm glad we have an audience! That means I can make Alvin look like a talentless fool in front of hundreds of people!"

"And how're you going to do that, honey?" antagonized Alvin.

"Easy!" laughed Brittany, her nose pressing to his just like she always does before laying down a challenge, "I challenge you, Alvin Seville, to a competition!"

The crowd immediately went wild. A challenge! What an exciting new arrangement. They were about to get far more than what they bargained for!

"And what is this challenge?" asked Alvin without an ounce of hesitance.

"You and I will each sing a song for the audience. Then we'll see afterwards who won!"

There was a slight pause as Alvin thought about her proposition.

"You're on, sister!" He pulled down his hat and parted ways with her, taking the sleeves of each of his brothers and pulling them backstage with them. Brittany did the same with Eleanor and Jeanette.

"Alvin!" Hissed Simon, "How could you accept that challenge if we have nothing rehearsed? Why did you even have to accept in the first place?!"

Theodore gasped, "Oh! No one's on stage right now! What are we going to do? We only have a little time or the crowd will leave!"

Simon wasted no time to think about this, "hm...Theodore, go out there and distract the crowd for a moment while I try to talk some sense into Alvin."

"Wh-what?! B-but what do I say to them?! I don't know h-how to entertain a crowd all by myself!" Theodore shook, his eyes widening with fear at the thought of a crowd booing him off the stage or throwing things at him. Working the crowd was something _Alvin_ did, not him! What did Theodore know about getting hundreds of people eating out of the palm of his hands? That was Alvin's expertise!

"Just talk to them, Theo! Tell them a few jokes or something! We just need two minutes! Just improise!"

"B-but! Simon! I-i don't know how to-"

"Just go! Hurry!"

Before he could argue much longer, Theodore was pushed onto the stage and immediately surrounded by the blinding stage spotlights.

"...h-hi e-everybody...!" mumbled Theodore into the mic, squinting through the lights. How could Alvin's eyes withstand the brightness of these things? He must be nearly blind by now! And no wonder Simon needs his glasses to see anything; these lights must've taken a serious toll on his eyesight! Theodore was glad he was the drummer and didn't have to deal with them as much as his brothers.

The audience turned their attention to little Theodore, whose knees were buckling and shivering as he held the mic, "H-how is e-everyone tonight?" He quickly received a loud cheer and applause, so he eased up a little, "U-um...well good! M-my brother Alvin will be performing i-in a minute, s-so I was sent out here to...um..." His heart fell like it was going to explode out of his chest and his face- no, his whole entire body felt like it was in flames!

"I-i was sent out here to...um..." There was complete silence as he frantically searched for words. The room was beginning to spin and he could feel himself getting more and more lightheaded and nauseated, "T-to...uh...-"

"He was sent out here to entertain while Alvin gets prepared for our next act!" Said a sweet, familiar voice.

Theodore looked in the direction of his brothers backstage, but they weren't the ones speaking. Simon was yelling at Alvin and shaking him by the shoulders, so it definitely wasn't them. He looked to the other side of the stage and saw who it was: Eleanor! He sighed in relief. How was she so calm? Was she forced on stage too?

She walked closer to him and gently put her arm around his shoulder to calm him and it certainly worked! Theodore's nerves calmed and he felt like the fire was lessening by the second. The jitters were beginning to leave his arms and legs and his teeth gradually stopped chattering. Eleanor's dark chocolate eyes glinted in the spotlight. She didn't seem to mind them at all.

"Isn't Theodore a terrific drummer, everyone?" chirped Eleanor sweetly. The crowd immediately cheered at the top of their lungs. Theodore blushed bashfully and looked at his feet. Eleanor was just so sweet sometimes! She was always there when he needed her.

Meanwhile, Alvin was suiting up for his next act. It was going to be a hit.

"Alvin, do you even know what you're going to sing? You can't go through with this if-"

"Relax, Simon!" interrupted Alvin, looking confidently at his fabulous reflection in the mirror, "Remember that New Years party we had in the neighborhood last year when we played for our neighbors and friends?"

"Well, yes... why?" Inquired Simon. What was he up to this time?

Alvin combed his hair to the side evenly and neatly with his comb, "Remember the song we'd been practicing New Years Eve morning, but we never played it cause it wasn't ready yet?"

"Of course. Why do you ask?"

"That's our song for tonight!" Said Alvin, placing the comb in his coat pocket, "And we're gonna win!"

"But Alvin! We haven't even finished learning that song! We aren't prepared enough to play it yet!"

"Nonsense, Simon! We can do ANYTHING if we put our minds to it!" Alvin said with the utmost confidence. And with that, he picked up his electric guitar and prepared to go on stage.

Simon groaned and ran his hands through his hair nervously, "Somebody sedate me..._please_..."

Jeanette was having as much success trying to convince Brittany to call off the competition: none. Brittany's head was as thick as iron. When she gets an idea in her head, she doesn't stop until it's fully carried out. Jeanette didn't share this trait with Brittany, which can be a good thing or a bad thing. Instead, she stood by the motto of "look before you leap." Sometimes she was even a little TOO cautious.

"Brittany...Listen..." started Jeanette gently, "I-i don't know if this is such a good idea! I mean, we were supposed to go with what Dave scheduled! He's going to be furious that we stopped performing mid-concert!"

Brittany was, as usual, occupied with making herself look as beautiful as she was talented, "Relax, Jeanette! We haven't stopped performing! When I go out there, I'm gonna bring the house down! Besides..." Brittany dusted powder on her perfect rouged cheeks, "People enjoy a good show, do they not?"

"i-i suppose..."

"And I AM the better performer in this competition in this situation, am I not?" Brittany took down her ponytail and began brushing her long strawberry blonde locks.

"W-well-"

"Am I NOT?" Brittany looked at Jeanette sternly.

Jeanette quickly nodded, "U-uh huh!"

"So there's no problem! I'll win. I'll show that Alvin," she growled again, hissing his name, "I'll show HIM to step on these feet!" And with that, Brittany stood up and walked to her dressing room to change into her outfit.

"Oh dear..." whimpered Jeanette, putting her hands over her face in frustration.

On stage, Theodore and Eleanor were doing a splendid job keeping the crowd entertained.

"And then I said to her," Theodore laughed into the mic, "I said to her, 'that's why it tastes so funny, Ellie! You added baking SODA instead of baking POWDER!"

A wave of laughter rolled over the crowd. For a good five minutes, Theodore and Eleanor managed to entertain hundreds of people by themselves. The crowd was eating it up; their impromptu comedy act was so adorable and entertaining! Instead of singing, they'd managed to keep the high energy of the crowd by talking about what they both love doing best: cooking! Dave was even laughing from backstage! Theodore's nervous had completely calmed down and his confidence replaced any remaining feelings of stage fright. And it was all because of Eleanor.

"Haha! Silly me!" Laughed Eleanor, "I guess that's what I get for accidentally putting the baking soda and baking powder in the opposite containers!

Alvin signalled from backstage to Theodore. Theodore nodded and grabbed the mic, "Well, folks! Looks like Alvin is ready to start the competition now! Are you all ready?"

The audience applauded and screamed, chanting Alvin's name.

"Alright! Here he is!"

Alvin walked onto the stage and took center as Simon took his place as the bassist, whispering the song choice into Theo's ear.

"What?" whispered Theodore back, "B-but we barely know that song!"

"I know... But Alvin insisted, so we'll have to roll with it." Replied Simon solemnly.

"O-okay," Theodore agreed reluctantly, taking his place as the drummer.

Alvin yelled into the mic before he began strumming, "This one's for all you beautiful ladies out there!"

Brittany watched scornfully backstage as Alvin began the song, preparing herself.

"I'm SO going to crush you, Seville."

Alrighty friend-os. What will happen next? What will Alvin sing? Will the Chipmunks be able to perform a song they barely know? What will Brittany sing? Who will win?~

Your reviews would be greatly appreciated! :) Until next chappy, over and out!

-Blythe 3


	3. Secret Weapon

**Hello, Friend-os! So here's another long chapter! Hopefully I don't bore you guys too much... But lucky, this chapter has a tad of Alvittany in it, which is kind of the beginning to the future Alvittany stuff I'm planning in this story's future! Let me know what you guys think!**

**-Blythe**

Chapter 3: Secret Weapon

Alvin began strumming his guitar thoughtfully before he began, his eyes closed as he gathered his thoughts before performing. Of course, he'd never done this before because he was so used to things being rehearsed and played over and over once he'd learned how to play it, but this time was different; they hadn't actually rehearsed it fully! The notes were fast and hard to play without practice by the end, and this might've been the first time Alvin felt hesitant on a stage!

Simon watched Alvin from the side of the stage, adjusting his glasses to verify what he saw: was Alvin actually nervous? This was something Simon never thought he'd see! Normally Alvin would dive right into it, eating up the attention the crowd fed him, bathing in the rush of the experience. But not this time... it was like he was planning something in that little diabolical head of his under his infamous red cap. Theodore looked over to Simon, wondering what was the matter, but Simon shook his head, unaware of what was happening as well.

Brittany, on the other hand, was enjoying this. Had Alvin caught a nasty case of stage fright? Would she win by default if he forfeits? The idea felt good for a moment, then her face fell at the thought of how that wouldn't count and how she wouldn't be able to prove to everyone how she was the better than him. This saddened her; she preferred to win fair and square. She secretly hoped to herself he'd snap out of it. _C'mon Alvin_, she thought, _play something_!

The crowd was on the edge of their seats as Alvin messed around with his guitar strings on stage, wondering just as much as his brothers what he was doing. Dave was nearly biting his own nails off!

Little did they know that the evil genius himself was on the verge of doing something he'd never officially tried at a concert: Improvising!

Alvin drew up his fist that tightly gripped his guitar pick and brought it down harshly over the chords, playing a loud and unexpected D chord. The crowd was taken aback and quickly responded with loud screams of his name and bellowing, encouraging him to proceed. He then played a hard B chord, causing the yelling and volume of the crowd to escalate. He was enjoying this. From there, his mind raced in circles of what he should do next. _Don't think too much, Alvin!_ He scolded himself silently, _just play._ He looked over at Brittany, who was tapping her toe impatiently, _you're better than her!_ He then unleashed a series of skillful riffs, casting the audience into astonishment as he lifted his guitar up and played more complicated and powerful notes that seemed to ripple through the concert hall. Simon and Theodore looked at each other again, but this time, it was out of utter disbelief! Alvin had pulled a stunt like this before, yes... but he'd only do it in the garage in his own private discretion, never in front of hundreds of people!

Brittany hadn't blinked since he began the powerful riffs. She was also quite amazed...even impressed! Alvin hadn't even done this in front of her, nevermind a concert hall full of strangers! She was enthused at his playing for a little while, but then she immediately realized that this wasn't a good thing; she was going to have serious competition to beat now!

Alvin gradually stopped playing around with the guitar and the stage went silent again. He turned to both of his brothers and gave a nod, signalling to them that he would begin the song now, his confidence elevated to a whole new level. He was going to set fire to this place.

_Okay,_ he thought,_ now that you've got their attention, now's the time to win this stupid competition!_ He looked over to Brittany again, who was standing nervously with her arms crossed. _She's got nothing on raw talent_, he thought.

The stage lights dimmed down until only Alvin was shown under the spotlight. He positioned his fingers carefully on his guitar and with his now warmed up finger, played the beginning solo of the song _**Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns 'n Roses.**_

"D, D, A, G, hiG, A, F#, A, D, D, A, G, hiG, A, F#, A..." Whispered Alvin inaudibly to himself as he played the chords with stern control of his wrists. After the first two bars of the song, the crowd immediately knew the song Alvin was playing and were immediately pleased! The sound of his guitar was met with the roar of his audience that seemed to resonate throughout the whole concert hall. If the sound had a tangible force, it could've bent metal!

The audience's reaction to the music encouraged Theodore and Simon as well; perhaps they really COULD finish this song successfully! With a newfound sense of confidence, they joined in.

Jeanette and Eleanor watched from backstage as they assisted Brittany with her hair.

"Gee, Brittany!" murmured Jeanette, "Alvin's doing pretty well out there! Do you still think you've got a shot?"

Brittany shot her a glare. Jeanette immediately rephrased, "U-um! I-i just mean... do you think you're ready to go on stage right after? Do you need more time?"

"Of _course_ not!" Snapped Brittany, "I know what I'm doing! Are you implying that I don't?!"

"N-no! I never said that!" replied Jeanette, "I-i just-"

"Easy, Britt!" lectured Eleanor, putting her arm up protectively between Brittany and Jeanette, "Jeez, what's gotten into you? Calm down! Stop being so jumpy!"

"Sorry," breathed Brittany apologetically, "It's just...Alvin's secret weapon took me by surprise, that's all..."

"Secret weapon?" Questioned Jeanette shyly.

"Yeah... his guitar improvisation. He effortlessly just started doing those riffs... I gotta find my own secret weapon!" Answered Brittany with a tone of determination, "If he can do it, I definitely can! I just gotta find out what my secret weapon is...!"

Back on the stage, Alvin anxiously awaited the song's pick up. The boys were following him well so far, but now began the real fun; the lyrics. Alvin leaned forward and neared his mouth to the mic as he began to sing from the pit of his stomach:

_**She's got a smile that it says to me**_

_**Reminds me of childhood memories**_

_**Where everything was as fresh as the bright blue sky**_

_**Now and then when I see her face**_

_**She takes me away from that special place**_

_**And if I stare too long, I'd probably break down and cry**_

_**Whoa oh oh oh Sweet Child O' Mine!**_

_**Whoa oh oh oh Sweet Love O' mine!**_

It had suddenly struck Alvin that there was something different about these lyrics that hadn't come to his attention until now. Something was missing that made it feel lonelier than he wanted it to sound. Perhaps it was that the person who wrote it had someone in mind that gave it meaning? Maybe that's what would give the song more substance; if he'd have someone to play it to. He looked carefully into the audience to target someone in particular to focus the energy on. No such luck; he could barely see anyone down there through the blinding spotlight!

He looked to his right, no one was off stage over on that side, so he looked to the left. Immediately, he found the perfect candidate. She was there, hands on her hips, lips pouting and thick with cherry toned lip gloss. Brittany! He angled his body slightly toward and looked to her with his eyes, still keeping his body completely open to the audience as he played. Brittany, his rival as he thought of her at the present moment, she was a good focus. Any other time when they weren't fighting, she was his best friend. But for now, she was going to taste defeat.

Alvin continued to the next verse of the song, his eyes on her.

_**She's got eyes of the bluest skies**_

_**As if they thought of rain**_

_**I'd hate to look into those eyes**_

_**And see an ounce of pain**_

Funny, seeing as her eyes were rather blue... strange how some things connect. As he sang the words, he smiled at the connection it made to how Brittany actually looked. This amused him. It was beginning to get easier to bring out the best in the song.

Brittany watched him as he sang, realizing suddenly that he was singing to her. _Why is he doing that? He's messing with me!_ Thought Brittany begrudgingly, a warm pink blush coloring her cheeks, _how dare he use such tricks!_ She was convinced that he was antagonizing her, so she rolled her eyes and tried not to make eye contact with the imbecile. He continued to the next verse.

_**Her hair reminds me of a warm, safe place**_

_**Where as a child I'd hide**_

_**And pray for the thunder and the rain**_

_**To quietly pass me by**_

_**Ooh Whoa oh oh oh Sweet Child O' Mine!**_

_**Whoa oh oh oh Sweet Love O' Mine!**_

Brittany's eyes kept wandering back to Alvin, despite her wishes to navigate her sight away from him. Every time she looked back, there were his eyes, staring right back at her; blue meeting blue. What was his problem? Was he flirting with her? How rude! How _sneaky_! ...How totally and completely...Alvin!

Meanwhile, Alvin's thoughts weren't quite on the same page as Brittany's were. He was gonna win this thing, even if it meant toying with the mind of his opponent in the process. He gave a smirk, watching as her cheeks turned pinker and pinker. He loved messing with Brittany's head or just teasing her in general. Why? It was so easy! (Not to mention entertaining!)

_**Yeah oh whoa oh oh oh Sweet Child O' Mine!**_

_**Whoa oh oh oh Sweet Love of Mine!**_

_**Whoa oh oh oh Sweet Child O' Mine...**_

Now, Alvin had to focus. He was approaching the territory of the song that was unfamiliar to him; the part he might have to improvise on a bit. He readied himself, separating his legs a bit and tearing his gaze away from Brittany's. Playtime was over; now it was time to really bring on the heat.

**_Whoa oh oh oh Sweet Love O' Mine!_**

Without hesitation, he dove into the guitar solo, preparing himself to improvise on the spot. First he took it easy, then he allowed his fingers to go wherever they desired on the neck of his guitar. It was as if the room had been set on fire; he felt like he was burning in the spotlight as his fingers began to move faster and faster. He was now improvising...and the crowd was going nuts! In the midst of his passionate solo, the red-clad chipmunk hit his knees, biting his lip intensely as he took the song by storm. Simon and Theodore stared at Alvin in amazement. Over the ten years they'd known Alvin, he'd never showed this amount of skill on his guitar. They practically had to force themselves to look away to avoid being captivated by the sound of the instrument as it wailed. Girls in the audience were fainting left and right. This performance would certainly not be forgotten!

_**Where do we go?**_

_**Where do we go now?**_

_**Where do we go?**_

_**oh oh**_

_**Where do we go?**_

_**oh,**_

_**Where do we go now?**_

_**Where we go?**_

_**Sweet child! Whooooa Sweet Child!**_

_**Where do we go now ah ah ah ah ahhhh!**_

As the song began to come to its end, Alvin was now using his powerful guitar skills along with his voluminous vocal abilities. Alvin was anchored to the stage, belting out the last few verses while he continued to play. Brittany was riddled with doubt. When she'd challenged him to a dual, she never knew he'd take it this seriously and blow everyone away. Yes, he'd amazed people before, but this was very different from what he usually did. And Brittany couldn't play instruments like Alvin could; she wasn't nearly as confident. For now, all Brittany knew was that she'd probably bitten off more than she could chew this time.

_**Sweet Child!**_

_**Sweet Chi-i-i-i-i-i-ld of Mine!**_

Alvin strummed his final chord on his electric guitar and picked himself off the ground, immediately taking a bow as soon as Theodore wrapped it up on the drums. Simon and Theodore took bows as well, still in awe of what had just happened; Alvin had broken the limits of his own abilities.

"Thank you so much," yelled Alvin into the mic, "you've all been a wonderful audience!" He looked off stage to Brittany, who was shaking, "And next, ladies and gentleman, we have the princess herself! Brittany!" The crowd roared with excitement.

The chipmunks walked off stage, still putting together in their minds what'd just happened.

"Wow! That was amazing, Alvin! H-how did you do that?" Squeaked Theodore.

"I've never even seen you do that in the garage! Have you been practicing that song independently?" Inquired Simon.

Alvin simply shook his head, still panting from the performance, "Nope! I just let my fingers do their work! Hehe," he haughtily replied, "Never underestimate a rockstar."

Typical Alvin.

Brittany crossed paths with him on her way onto the stage and gave him an icy glare.

"What's wrong, Brittany? Didn't think I could blow you out of the water?"

"I'll admit you were good," growled Brittany, "But you haven't seen what _I_ can do yet!"

"Well you've got big shoes to fill, don't you?"

Brittany stifled a laugh, "Well hopefully not the ones you're wearing! I wouldn't want to suddenly become a horrible dancer and step on everyone's feet!"

The two were about to begin another one of their petty little fights when Eleanor rushed between them, "Quit fighting, you two!" She pulled at Brittany's arm, "_C'mon_ Brit! You're on right _now!_"

**Okay guys! That's it for this chapter! Tell me what you think! What do you think Brittany will do? Will she buckle under the pressure? Who will win? **

**Until next time, over and out!**

**-Blythe**


	4. Tap Tappity Tap

**Quickie Author Note:**

**Hey guys! **** Before you read my next chapter****, I'd first like to thank all you guys who're supporting me and say thank you thank you thank you for your reviews and suggestions! Being the newbie I am, I take comfort in knowing that I'm doing ****_something_**** right! Special thanks to Alvittany4Ever for your suggestions and encouragement. It really uplifted me, so thank you, thank you, thank you! Btw I agree with your username 200%. ;)**

**So anyway, I hope you all like my next chapter. It was hell to write, honestly... It's hard to describe motion sometimes! Hope it's good and I hope it surprises you guys! **

***ALSO - It just occurred to me that I haven't mentioned what year this takes place in! **** It's the end of 1989****. I'm a dope.**

****I do not own the Chipmunks, Chipettes, or the songs****

Chapter 4: Tap Tappity Tap

"_C'mon,_ Brittany! You're on right _now_!"

Brittany's heart was sinking lower and lower by the second. Just a few minutes ago, she was almost too confident that she'd be able to win this competition by a landslide. But now, she doubted herself more and more with every minute passing.

"Hehe. Good luck trying to follow me, Brittany," poked Alvin, "You don't stand a chance!"

And with that last supportive comment, he sauntered off to put back his guitar. Brittany stung with resentment. Could he be any more of a egotist?

"Brittany! Let's go! They're waiting!" Urged Eleanor, pushing Brittany toward the stage.

"O-okay," stuttered Brittany, "B-but I need you and Jeanette to help me out a little bit."

Although Brittany often shied away from asking her sisters for favors, she had to swallow her pride this time and do it. She wasn't like Alvin in that sense; she doesn't just expect her siblings to assist her when she got herself into predicaments. Most of the time, she'd do it alone or at least ask her sisters first.

By using her sisters, it wouldn't actually mean that she was asking to help her win. Besides, Alvin used his brothers for his song, so why couldn't she ask her sisters to assist with hers?

"Sure, Brittany!" Agreed Eleanor, "What is it you need?"

The heat of the stage light hit Brittany's skin as she took center. The crowd reacted right away, hollering her name and applauding; the whole room was expecting another spectacular performance...and Brittany intended to bring one. Dressed in a full one-piece body suit similar to the one Madonna wore in her music video for the song **_"Papa Don't Preach"_** (But with black straps that went over her shoulders), she resembled a perfect porcelain doll. Around her waist was a leather studded belt with rhinestones around the buckle. Her strawberry blonde hair resembled the Farrah Fawcett look, cascading down her back in perfect waves that brought out the delicate round shape of her face. Her eyes were dusted with a smokey eyeshadow and black eyeliner to bring out the depth of her caribbean blue irises. Her lips were plump and applied with a chic, cherry tone giving her mouth a boldness that only Brittany herself was known for. Lastly, she covered up her bruised feet with sleek, 3-inch heeled New York runway boots that extended to the point just below her knees with taps on the soles. She was certainly a sight to see. She was Brittany Miller and she was ready to show her strength.

She looked backstage at Alvin, who had on that stupid, conceited grin on his face. Ugh! She hated that face! And that _stupid_ grin! She glared back before she turned to address the audience.

Her eyes adjusted to the incandescence of the spotlight, blinking a few times before she cleared her throat, "Hello everyone," She began hoarsely, adjusting her wireless lavalier mic, "I just wanted to take a moment before I perform to..." She stopped briefly to comprehend what she was trying to tell them, looking back at Alvin, who stood radiating with overconfidence. His words echoed in her head: "_You don't stand a chance!"_ She didn't just despise him because he was talented, but because she resented how often he made her feel like she was putty in his hands; like she was some talentless object that he thought he could just push around. As if she was just empty space. She felt inclined in that moment to show him how much he was wrong; how she was bigger and so much better than he thought she was. Promptly after thinking of him, she knew what she wanted to say.

"...To dedicate this song to all you girls out there who feel held down. For all of you who have doubts about yourselves because someone has told you you aren't good enough, and constantly tells you how much you how you won't get anywhere or reach a certain level of excellence because of who you are." She received a response from the audience, mostly from the female spectators, "Well I just want to say to all you ladies that what they say is false! We can achieve ANYTHING If we fight through all our adversities and never lose sight of our individuality! We can prove them all wrong!"

Following her speech was an uproarious applause.

"Wh-what is she doing?" Mumbled Theodore worriedly.

"She's rallying the audience," Replied Simon, who was actually impressed at Brittany's skillful tactic, "Which is a pretty clever strategy!"

"What?!" barked Alvin, "But that's cheating! You can't get a crowd on your side that way!"

"Well actually, Alvin," protested Simon, "Nothing really says she can't...You never really set any ground rules before you began the competition, so whatever Brittany says or does is fair gain. And knowing Brittany, she's probably got a few tricks up her sleeves..."

Alvin huffed, pulling his cap down over his eyes. Stupid Brittany and her shenanigans.

Now all Brittany needed to do was concentrate; she needed to bring out her true streak of brilliance. Posing still in the center of the stage, she slowly turned around, her back to the audience as the lights dimmed on stage. She gestured her fingers to her sisters who were backstage and they came on and stood in the background with their instruments: Jeanette with her keyboard and Eleanor with an electric guitar.

No one stirred. The ambience of the room was calm and thick with suspense as Brittany loosened all her muscles. Counting down from three, Eleanor and Jeanette played gently at first, adding to the serenity of the room, the stage lights turning a cyclorama of blues. Jeanette played some beginning chords of the song as Eleanor prepared to play the bass chords on the low E string of her guitar.

**_"We are young,_**" spoke Brittany, her head bowed as the lights danced above her, _**"Heartache to heartache we stand. No promises, no demands."**_

Upon hearing the first verses to the song being spoken, the audience burst into acclamation. Jeanette and Eleanor gradually began to speed up the pace, diving into the beginning of the song and adding the rock n roll beat to it.

_**"Love is a Battlefield."**_

With her back still toward the audience, she was tapping her right heel to the beat, allowing her head to move as well. She closed her eyes and thought about the memories in which she felt powerless; times when she felt unappreciated by her best friend. By Alvin. She remembered all the times a while back when he stood her up on dates to hang out with friends after promising her he'd be there. Then she remembered the loneliness it gave her the days after those when she'd come to school and see him flirting with other girls, or when he wouldn't listen to her when she'd talk about how much it hurt her feelings. Though the two of them were best friends, something deep down in her felt something else for the boy. Yes, they were in constant competition with each other a lot, but when all that went away, she'd still hang around him even when he didn't ask her to. She'd listen to him if he had anything on his mind or if there was something bothering him. When he was mad at one of his brothers or felt like he was underappreciated, she was there. But how many times had he been there for her? Where was the consideration? He didn't he have enough decency to take off those shoes so her feet wouldn't get crushed under them! Now he had the audacity to tell her she didn't have a chance?

Standing amidst the colors of the spotlight, she began to feel the hurt all over again: in her battered feet and in her heart...and that fueled her even more to win.

_**Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoaaaa!**_

_**WE ARE STRONG!**_

She sang powerfully from the pit of her stomach

_**No one can tell us we're wrong!**_

_**Searchin' our hearts for so lo-o-ong!**_

_**Both of us knowing...**_

She turned around and lifted her head to the audience slowly.

_**...Love is a battlefield.**_

Eleanor and Jeanette filled in the instrumentals part before the next set of lyrics. Meanwhile, Brittany looked off stage to Alvin, her eyes a merciless, piercing blue. This was no longer a look of disdain or disgust, but a look of pure vengefulness. She had cancelled out the roaring sound of the crowd as soon as the music began to play and now all of her attention was focused in the center of her body and on no one but Alvin.

Alvin was always one for a challenge, but this time he wasn't sure what she was thinking as she stared him down. If her eyes shot daggers, she'd probably have killed him by now.

As she began singing again, she also began to move her body, slow movements with the rhythm at first, then bigger as her vocals got more passionate.

_**You're beggin' me to go, then make me stay**_

She looked at him, her memories of him playing back in her head.

**_Why do you hurt me so bad?_**

**_It would help me to know, do I stand in your way?_**

**_Or am I the best thing you've had?_**

**_Believe me, believe me I can't tell you why,_**

**_but I'm trapped by your love and I'm chained to your...side._**

Her movement slowed for one moment, then as soon as the beat picked up again, she used every muscle in her body. She turned pointed to the audience.

_**WE ARE YOUNG!**_

_**Heartache to heartache we stand**_

_**No promises, no demands!**_

_**Love is a Battlefield**_

Suddenly, Brittany reached her hands to the sides, and immediately the key changed. Jeanette halted from her playing on the keyboard and Eleanor gave her a nod, immediately traditioning into a different melody; it transitioned from pop-rock to flat-out rock n roll. On stage, the lights switched from a sky blue to a deep purple as Brittany returned to the center of the stage. She was changing songs! As her sisters adjusted to the new tune, Jeanette added the harder percussions of this next song and Eleanor strummed harder on the guitar. Brittany began to bang her head to the rhythm and with a deep breath, she belted strongly from her diaphragm:

_**I want you to come on! Come on! Come on! Come on!**_

_**and**_

_**TAKE IT!**_

_**Take another little piece of my heart now baby!**_

_**Break another little piece of my heart now, darling yeah!**_

_**Hey! Have another little piece of my heart now, baby, yeah.**_

_**You know you got it if it makes you feel good,**_

_**Oh yes indeed.**_

Her movements were bold as she moved around the stage to the defined beat of the percussion. Her body had changed rhythms and fluidity and she was actually still adjusting to the song change, but she showed no signs of hesitance. In short, she was rocking out! Her eyes glowed with determination. The sound of her voice was raspy and controlled to give it that 'Janis Joplin' sound. The rough edge that Janis Joplin always had in her music. The audience was as loud as they were exciting, jumping up and down and pumping their fists in the air to the sound of the percussion

_**You're out on the streets looking good, and baby,**_

_**Deep down in your heart I guess you know that it ain't right,**_

_**Never never never never never never never hear me when I cry at night.**_

_**Baby, I cry all the time!**_

_**And each time I tell myself that I, well I can't stand the pain,**_

_**But when you hold me in your arms, I'll sing it once again.**_

Now that she officially had the audience's attention, she looked over to Alvin to see if he knew that the lyrics she sang were directed toward him. She wanted the force of her voice to affect Alvin without singing it directly to him. She wanted to see the acknowledgement in his eyes when he realized the anger he was making her feel.

**_Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on!_**

**_and_**

**_TAKE IT!_**

**_Take another little piece of my heart now baby!_**

**_Break another little piece of my heart now, darling yeah!_**

**_Hey! Have another little piece of my heart now, baby, yeah._**

**_You know you got it if it makes you feel good,_**

**_Oh yes indeed._**

But when she looked, what she saw wasn't what she wanted: there he stood in the shadows, a familiar wide, obnoxious grin plastered on his face. This made her growl. She then turned her back to him, facing the other side of the stage.

"You wanna play games?" she mumbled under her breath, "_Fine_. We'll play."

Her arms shot up to the ceiling, giving her sisters a signal to change the song again. They shot each other worried expressions before they reluctantly obliged, Eleanor pulling the neck of the guitar closer to herself as she played an F chord. Jeanette counted the beats in her head as they changed from ¾ to 4/4. They were used to Brittany wanting to change songs and melodies, but it was a little more challenging to get used to the beats when they changed frequency. The girls smoothly transitioned into the next song, something Brittany used to play over and over when they were younger. It was much more upbeat in rhythm than the two previous songs. Though they had no jazz instruments, they seemed to do a perfectly catchy rock rendition to go along with the two previous rock songs, also providing vocal backup for Brittany. As soon as the room recognized the tune, they went wild, excited by the classic familiarity of the melody and the rock spin that they gave it.

_**(Ooh) What you want, (ooh) baby I got it**_

_**(ooh) What you need, (ooh) you know I got it!**_

_**(ooh) All I'm asking is for a little RESPECT when ya come home!**_

_**(just a little bit) Hey baby, (Just a little bit) when ya get home, mister!**_

She looked for a moment back at Alvin, then did something that none of them have ever done before: She left the stage! From where she was on the stage, she jumped off and headed up through the stands of the concert hall and up the stands where the audience sat, still singing loudly and proudly. Nobody could believe what she was doing! None of them had ever done that before! No one had the courage during a major concert to leave the safety of the stage and trek into the audience! Eleanor and Jeanette gave eachother confident glances. This was the real, true Brittany. The secret to her excellence was unmatched self-esteem.

_**(ooh) I ain't gonna do ya wrong! (ooh) while you're gone.**_

_**(ooh) Ain't gonna do ya wrong (ooh) cause I don't wanna**_

_**All I'm askin', is for a little RESPECT when you get home!**_

_**(re-re-re-re-re-re-re-respect! Just a little bit! Just a little bit)**_

She made her way up the middle section seating, audience members clapping their hands to the beat and egging her on, chanting her name. At one point, she even sat on a male audience member's lap and sang to her as if he was Alvin.

_**I'm about to give ya... all my money**_

She walked her fingers up the audience member's chest, then proceeded to play with and ruffle his hair as his face turned a deep magenta color. A little rockstar was sitting on his lap. His friends would NEVER believe this if he told them...

A ring of laughter in response to her actions resonated through the air as she got up and danced through the aisles, singing to different audience members. She was romancing the crowd; something she'd always had a knack for.

_**And all I'm asking, in return honey**_

_**Is to give me my profits when ya come home**_!

After the next view short verses, she pounced on top of a giant loudspeaker and held up a hand as she sang the climactic verse of the song, standing firmly, her hands curled into fists at her sides:

**_R-E-S-P-E-C-T!_**

**_Find out what it means to me_**

**_R-E-S-P-E-C-T!_**

**_Give some to Brit-tan-y!_**

Following that last first she threw her head back and her hands up and belted the high note of the song an octave above the note Aretha Franklin originally sang it and held for eight beats, her face into the spotlight. If it was any higher, she could've broken glass!

The Chipmunks and the remaining Chipettes couldn't believe what they were hearing! Brittany had never sang anything like it! The frequency was so incredibly high and was so strong, it was nothing they could've ever expected from her in a million years! It was perfect. Simon and Theodore's mouths dropped open; was that note really coming from her?! Her sister looked at each other, dumbfounded. Alvin couldn't watch. It wasn't up until now did he feel pangs of doubt; did she actually have a chance of beating him? Impossible!

After she finished the note, the audience was about to go crazy... until there was a loud sound:

**BANG!**

_Absolute Silence_.

Brittany leapt off of the loudspeaker and landed in the center of the stage, her head down and spotlight lighting every part of her body. There was no light anywhere else in the entire building.

What was she up to now? She panted for a few seconds, then looked up at the eyes of her spectators and fans.

"Now for something a little..._different_..." Said Britney mischievously to the crowd.

Then, without warning, Brittany broke out into dance...tap dance!

She started out slowly, the clear and short taps of her shoes being the only sound in the entire hall: tap tap tap tappity tap tap tappity tappity tap tap tappity tap tap...

Brittany breathed evenly in and out, trying ignore the excruciating pain she was in from her previous dancing and from the bruises underneath her boots and layers of gauze wrap. The truth was, she had never actually tap-danced in front of crowd before. However, her experience was the last thing on her mind at the moment. She paid all her focus to the center of her body and her legs. Her speed began to propel and she used her upper body in her dance, her arms away from her sides and moving rhythmically as her feet moved faster and faster:

_Tap tap tappity tappity tappity taptaptaptap tappitytappity taptap tappity tap tap..._

She now began to use her hands to clap and used the stomping dynamics in her steps, her eyes watering from the pain she felt in her toes and tops of her feet. Her dance grew extremely complex and full of passion. She turned back to the audience and her dancing become more skilled; they were mesmerized with her movement as each set of eyes followed her as she travelled around the lit platform.

_Tappity tappity tap click taptap click taptap clickity CLAP STOMP tappity taptappitytapclick CLAP tap tappity STOMP clickclickity tappity STOMP clickity tap CLAP tappityclick STOMP taptap tappity tap tappitytap taptappity tap tap clickity STOMP Clickity click CLAP tappity tap tappity taptappitytaptap..._

Alvin's eye widened as he began to get a bit hypnotized by the rhythmic tapping and clicking of her shoes. She began to twirl and circles as her stomping grew louder and faster, her making her look like she was dancing on air. She kept her head up and allowed her hair to get in her face as she danced, power seeping through every part of her body. Yes, sweat would probably ruin her makeup and it probably had already... but it was worth it. She was a fireball on the stage, bending her knees, swinging her hips, using the tip-taps of her shoes, dancing on the sides of her feet and bouncing at the beginning of every new set of taps. Her adrenaline was at it's highest flow in her bloodstream, surging her feet into a whole new meaning of speed. She danced as if there were hot coals under her feet.

_Tappitytaptaptappitytappityt apSTOMPtapSTOMPtappitytappit ytappityCLAPtaptappityclickc lickityclickityclicktappityt appityclickclickclickSTOMPcl ickityclickitytappitytappity tappitytaptapCLAPtapCLAPtapt appitytappityCLAPclickclicki tytapSTOMPclickclack..._

The crowd was on edge, completely astonished by the rapid tapping. Nobody moved. The only thing moving in the entire concert hall was the eldest chipette basking in the spotlight.

As she danced, she'd forgotten all about Alvin. She thought about what was important to her: Ms. Miller, her memories, her sisters, her dreams, her career...She thought about how far she's come from being a little girl who liked to sing to a girl who hungered for the stage. She recalled the memories she had of when he was a baby in the orphanage in Australia with her sisters and Olivia, the little girl who used to take care of them. She thought about Jeanette and Eleanor and how proud she was of them. About how many nights they'd stay awake talking about what they wanted their lives to be like. Whenever she'd tell her sisters about her dreams to be a star, they wouldn't laugh at her or tell her she couldn't, they'd encourage her and built her up while she nurtured those talents. And when she'd face rejection, they'd both be there for her to be her shoulders to cry on.

Finally, she thought about what it meant to her to be a performer. She thought of the countless hours she'd spent singing with a hairbrush or her days spent sitting by her record player listening to Billie Holiday, Pat Benatar, Whitney Houston, Stevie Nicks, Madonna, and all the other women in music she had aspired to be like.

On the stage, she performed for what was truly hers. She danced and sang to prove to herself that she was still the marvel she's always been. She didn't need Alvin to make her feel like she was something special. She _WAS_ special!

She was Brittany Miller...and she always has been and always will be an _incredible performer_.

Alvin decided after tearing his gaze away from her feet that he couldn't watch anymore. Yes, Alvin's performance was amazing, but Brittany...Brittany was making him dizzy with doubt. He'd showed the audience that he could break his own boundaries as a performer, yes, but what Brittany had done was something far greater: not only had she'd broken her boundaries as a fantastic singer, but she'd also broken the boundaries of the 4th wall between the audience and stage...and what she was doing with her feet on the stage...that just wasn't human!

He stepped away from the backstage curtain, his hands in his pockets. It disgusted him to know that he had a possibility of losing.

Heading backstage to the dressing rooms, his mind was buried in thought; so much so that he wasn't watching where he was going. Without his knowledge, his 'fabulous new shoes' had snagged a wire to the onstage lighting. He felt a tug. "Stupid..._wire!_" He grunted, pulling on the wire and forcing it to release his foot. The wire snapped and released his shoe, but he suddenly heard the sound of crashing metal, causing him to jolt backwards. What was that?!

Back on the stage, Brittany neared the end of her dance. Closing to the finale, she did several swift spins on her heel and did a split high-kick with her right leg, then brought her right leg behind her and did a clean split, shooting her fist straight into the air and her face to the sky. As she did that, sparks unexpectedly rained down from the ceiling upstage several feet behind her, giving her finale a spectacular feel to it.

The crowd completely lost it.

The wire Alvin's shoe had gotten caught on was responsible for a string of anchored stage lights in the rafters. By tugging it, he had unhinged a line of stage lights and caused them to crash into the metal scaffolding supporting the ceiling, hence the shower of sparks on the stage. In other words, Alvin just made Brittany's performance look a whole lot cooler... Not to mention, he probably just caused thousands of dollars of damage to the set lighting and stage panelling. It was official: Dave was going to have his head.

The people in the audience were overwhelmed by Brittany's extraordinary act, and some of her biggest fans were even moved to tears! Brittany sat on the stage, completely exhausted and unable to move her legs. She looked over at her sisters and motioned them to come over to assist her with whatever energy she had left. As they picked her off of the ground, her head was pounding and her legs were in so much pain, she could barely feel them. Her lungs were sore from her rapid breathing and her hair was drenched in sweat, making her look opposite of how she looked when she walked on stage. Her makeup was completely ruined much to her embarrassment, but it was worth it! Never in her life had she felt like this: like she'd just unleashed power she didn't even know she had. Several minutes after she exited the stage, the crowd was still cheering deafeningly, chanting her name. Brittany didn't even care about the competition anymore... she just wanted to sit down for a minute; she was having a hard time even seeing straight!

"Wow, Brittany!" Cheered Theodore, "You were phenomenal!"

"Marvelous! Absolutely astounding!" praised Simon. Both of them ran up to her and gave her a hug. She fell over into them, almost paralyzed with exhaustion and they held her up and carried her over to a chair, setting her down carefully.

"Gee, Brittany... you sure look beat," said Eleanor worriedly, "You sure you want to perform for the rest of tonight?"

"Do you even wanna stand up again tonight?" Asked Jeanette, concerned.

Brittany simply nodded, "I'll stand..." she panted, "just...one more time. I want to see...who won!"

The rest of them nodded.

Theodore realized someone was missing from the bunch: the eldest chipmunk.

"W-where's Alvin?"

Alrighty friend-os! Hopefully this chappy was good...I know it's long! Sorry about that! Tell me what you think! Who's going to win?

What'll Alvin say?

Oh, and the songs I used are:

"Love is a Battlefield" by Pat Benetar

"Piece of my Heart" by Janis Joplin

and "Respect" by Aretha Franklin


	5. The Decision

Hello, Friend-os! Sorry for the delayed update - this chapter was a little harder for me to write, for some reason...

Anyway, I hope you like it!

-Blythe

* * *

Chapter 5: The decision

"Oh no!" Exclaimed Alvin, horrified by the result of his clumsiness, "Not only is Brittany going to win now, b-but Dave's going to kill me!" He began to pace, frantically searching his head for something plausible to tell Dave about what he did to the lighting. He began to imagine what Dave was going to say to him; the disappointed looks, the shouting, the punishment, everything Alvin hated about the results of his shenanigans. That was the problem with being a curious kid: it always came with a consequence.  
"The anchoring cord's over here! It was tied down last time I saw it!" Said a heavy, masculine voice. Alvin heard footsteps coming closer and began to panic, hurriedly looking for a place he could hide. He began to race toward the stage closet, but he was too late - he'd been spotted.

"Hey kid! You! Hey! Stop!" Said the voice, growing louder as the footsteps approached. Suddenly, Alvin was picked up from behind by the back of his shirt.

"Let go of me! Put me down!" shrieked Alvin, flailing his legs and arms. The man eyed Alvin, scratching his scruffy five o'clock shadow.

"Did you do this, little boy?" He asked, his booming voice causing Alvin to cower, "Did you break that cord over there?" He indicated the remainders of the broken cord on the floor, pointing to it. Alvin gulped.

"Uh...hehe...accidents...happen...?" Responded Alvin guiltily. He was toast.

Five minutes had gone by, and Alvin was nowhere in sight. As expected, this was something to be alarmed by; Alvin was always around after a performance, even if he did poorly. It wasn't like him to skip out in the midst of a competition! Each remaining chipmunk and chipette did what was natural to do in this situation: they searched for him.

"Alvin! Alvin where are you?" Called Simon. It was no use. The sound of the crowd drowned out any chance of Alvin being able to hear them, wherever he was. Simon shook his head slowly and sighed, glancing down at his younger brother, "It's no use, Theodore. He won't be able to hear us through all this calamity."

"Then...wh-what do we do, Simon? I-is Alvin not going to show up to see the results of the competition?" Asked Theodore, moving curtains to see if Alvin might be behind them, which he wasn't.

"I don't know, Theodore. It isn't like Alvin to back away from a challenge... especially after how well he did tonight! Let's check the dressing rooms..."

The two younger chipmunks began to exit the offstage area toward the private rooms until they were stopped by the purple-clad chipette.

"Simon! Theodore! What are we going to do about the audience?" Squeaked Jeanette worriedly, "They're expecting the show to continue!"

Simon and Theodore looked at each other for a moment, then back at her.

"I guess...the best thing to do is get the results from the audience without him being on stage," Replied Simon, "It's the only thing we can really do at this point!"

Meanwhile, the tech crew people were throwing fits in the light booth, enraged at the mysterious demolition of the stage lights. None of them were sure what had happened, but after closer examination, they estimated the cost of the damages to be around $15,000 for the damaged lighting and electrical equipment, and an additional $10,000 just to replace the hardwood panelling backstage where the sparks landed. It was an electrical catastrophe! One that had never occurred during a performance in the history of this concert hall. So naturally, they were enraged, scrambling about, hunting for the person responsible.

"Alright, set monkeys," yelled the technical producer as he stomped his way to the offstage booth, "which one of you idiots is responsible for this mess?! I want answers!"

The group of bewildered techies looked at one another, then back at the producer, all speechless. None of them had left the box since the chipmunks stepped on the stage.

"No one's gonna own up to this? Fine! So you're all just saying that the strip lighting just decided it was going to spontaneously break from its anchored position and magically fall with no logical explanation behind it?!"

"I'm sure there's some sort of explanation for this," said a gentle voice. It was Dave. Upon hearing the crash from backstage, Dave was concerned. He wasn't concerned as much about the lighting, but rather that it could've really hurt one of his boys or one of the chipettes; especially Brittany who was on stage and the closest person to the spark shower. "I don't think anybody meant to damage the set! I'm sure it was just an accident."

"Yeah?" sneered the tech producer, "An accident, eh? Well just because they're accidents doesn't mean they cost any less! We're looking at about $25,000 worth of damage expenses here, Mr. Seville! Would you like to be helpful and fork over $25,000?!"

"W-well I don't know what else to tell you, sir! I'm not sure how the electrical equipment fell like that!"

Just then, a tall, stocky man entered the room, dragging something small, red, and shivering behind him, "I think we have our culprit, sir."

Dave gasped, recognizing his son, "Alvin?!"

There was silence as everyone glared down at the red-clad chipmunk. He was always one who loved the spotlight, but he never liked it like this.

"Ehehe...Hey, Dave...F-funny seeing you here...hehehe!" mumbled Alvin nervously, pasting a wide small on his face to hide the guilt.

"ALVIN!"

As the crowd began to chant for the continuation of the show, the Chipmunks and Chipettes grew anxious.

"We're going to have to go out there now," declared Eleanor, "The show must go on!"

"Wh-what are you planning to say, Ellie?" asked Theodore, "Alvin's nowhere in sight! A-are you going to ask for the votes without him being on stage?"

"I guess so... But what else can we do?"

The rest of them solemnly agreed. It was time to wrap up their show, even without the lead chipmunk. Eleanor shook the nerves out of her hands and marched onto the stage, grabbing the mic. The crowd's energy returned upon her entrance.

"Alright, Ladies and Gentlemen! It is now time to vote for the winner of tonight's competition! Have you all made your decision?"

The crowd immediately responded with ear-splitting cheers and applause. Eleanor looked off stage to Jeanette, who was combing Brittany's hair that had recently become tangled from her shining performance on stage. Brittany looked like she'd fall apart within a matter of seconds - she was still catching her breath and leaning on Jeanette's shoulder, her chest heaving up and down. Eleanor had never seen Brittany so weak before and it worried her, so she decided to rally the votes on her own.

"Excellent! Let's begin, shall we? Everyone who would like to vote for Alvin, please speak now!"

There was a booming response from the audience, a wave of roaring and screaming in response to his name. Eleanor smiled and nodded, putting her hand up to silence the audience.

"Okay, good!" She paused as the audience calmed down, "Now...all in favor of Brittany?"

The same deafening sounds of screaming, hollaring, and chanting filled the room. It was hard to tell which response was louder; Alvin's or Brittany's. Eleanor looked backstage to Theodore and Simon, who were also unsure of the results. It wasn't the best way to receive results from hundreds of people, no, but usually when competitions like this happened, they'd at least be some kind of end result. Simon shook his head, unsure of what to make of all this. Theodore shrugged, also perplexed.

"Well," began Eleanor, "If I'm not mistaken, I'd say we have a-"

All of a sudden the crowd burst into a spontaneous fit of applause before Eleanor could finish her sentence. Confused, she looked around.

Brittany had gotten up from her seat off stage and hobbled into the stage light, her knees trembling and barely able to hold her up. Jeanette rushed onto the stage and helped Brittany stand up before she collapsed again into her arms - it was amazing how Brittany could even walk in a straight line with how much her body went under. Brittany waved to the crowd, causing the room to tremble from just the sound itself. The crowd's response was so boisterous, Eleanor had to cover her ears until they calmed down.

"Wow!" Said Eleanor breathlessly, "Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, it seems we have our winner!" She walked over to Brittany and lifted her arm over her head, "Brittany!"

After the show had finally ended for the evening, the five performers went back to their dressing rooms to change into more comfortable clothes. The night was a success, and because of the impromptu competition, they'd probably just increased their star power! With Alvin's incredible guitar solo and Brittany's groundbreaking mix of songs and tap dancing, they were sure to have gotten the attention greater than what they were used to. As they all finished changing clothes and left the theater, they saw dave standing by the van. Alvin was inside of the vehicle, crossing his arms; he looked disappointed and embarrassed - not only had he lost the competition, but he also was going to have to help Dave pay for the huge mess he'd accidentally created. What a night it was for Alvin Seville; first he was on top of the world, delivering an outstanding performance and re-establishing himself as a musician, then the next thing he knew, he was getting punished and humiliated for something that was an accident. The worst part about tonight is that since Brittany won, she was going to rub it in her face for the remainder of the week - no, the month! Alvin wished he could crawl into a hole and stay there.

"Come on, kids. Time to go home now." Said Dave, pulling the car keys out of his pocket, "It's getting late and you all must be exhausted!"

"You bet I am!" groaned Brittany, limping and leaning on Jeanette for support.

As they all piled into the car, Brittany sat next to Alvin, grinning widely as he turned away from her.

"So, Alvin," she goaded, "I didn't see you for the finale of the show! Care to explain?"

"Yeah," Simon chimed in, "Where were you? We searched everywhere for you!"

"It's like you disappeared!" Added Theodore.

"I don't wanna talk about it," snapped Alvin, avoiding eye contact with everyone and looking at his shoes, the things that had gotten him into this mess in the first place.

"Hey, you guys? How about we talk about something else for awhile," suggested Dave, still furious with the backstage catastrophe, "Did you all have fun tonight?"

The four other performers all agreed that the performance was unlike one they'd ever had before! It was spectacular! Never had they gotten that kind of audience response before! The only thing they'd have to figure out was how they were going to top that in the future concerts!

Alvin and Brittany were silent as the others talked. The pink-clad chipette was grinning ear-to-ear.

"Did ya hear who won, Alvin?" She bragged, "I'll give you a hint; she likes pink, tap dances, and is a far better performer than _you_!"

Alvin growled, sinking into his seat, "yeah, yeah. Congratulations."

Brittany was loving this. She sure showed Alvin! As the van cruised down the highway, Brittany was on cloud nine. She took her emery board out and began filing her nails.

"You should've heard it, Alvin... That sound of winning! People in the crowd cheering my name! For a moment, I thought they'd burst onto the stage and chase after me! It was chilling! Isn't it scary, Alvin? Having people wanting to sweep you off your feet and steal you away? I guess I need to be careful, being the_ hottest_ act of Rock and Roll," She laughed, continuing to boast, "But you don't have that problem, _do_ you?"

Alvin balled his fists. He'd had had enough of her bragging.

He began to fire back, "Sure I do!"

Brittany laughed, checking her nails, "No, you don't!"

Alvin sat up in his seat, shooting her a glare, a look of challenge in his ice blue eyes.

"Alright, little miss popularity!"

He'd now attracted the attention of the whole van.

"Here they go again," whined Simon.

"How much ya wanna bet I can beat you at everything else?! You name it, and I KNOW I can beat you at it!" Challenged Alvin, he nose pressed to hers. As soon as Brittany got that look in her eyes, everyone knew they were in for yet another competition. If this was the way they'd shown their friendship for one another, it certainly wasn't very normal.

"We've GOT to keep these two apart!" moaned Jeanette.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, guys! I'll update soon!**

**(by the way, anyone catch my Chipmunk Adventure reference? ;) )**

**So what will happen? What kind of challenge will Alvin come up with?**

**-Blythe**


	6. New Proposition

**Hiya Guys! **

**So sorry for the late update! School's back in and I'm still adjusting to my scheduling! **

**This chapter's going to be a little shorter, but I hope you still like it. I have to break this up into smaller pieces so the ending will be perfecto! ;)**

**Also, coming soon, I am not only going to update my other stories, but I also will be adding some new fanfics and two-shot! :D Very exciting. I'll be busy around these parts! **

**Anyway, I hope you like this chapter even if it is quite short!**

**-Blythe**

* * *

_**Chp 6: New Proposition**_

"Alvin," whined Simon after a prolonged period of silence, "If we don't get to class within the next few minutes, we're going to be late again! I can't afford to have any more tardies on my record or else I'll get detention!"

Alvin and his brothers had been waiting outside of Thomas Alba Edison Middle School for over fifteen minutes for the arrival of the Chipettes. Since he lost the bet he made with Brittany the week before, Alvin still hadn't recovered. His ego was injured; Brittany had won fair and square against the unmatched talents of Alvin Seville. This wasn't a natural feeling for Alvin - he was always the one who ended up on top. Though he wouldn't admit it, he spent the week following the concert wondering if he truly was as talented as he used to think he was. Why did she even have to challenge him in the first place and set him up to fail? He was the genuine article - the big cheese! Who did Brittany think she was for taking away his title so easily?

"Relax, Simon," Replied Alvin, more concentrated on the whereabouts of his Chipette opponent than the punctuality of their attendance, "detention is not that bad! It's not bad once you get yourself something to do! Trust me, I practically live there!"

"That's right," Simon grumbled, "YOU practically live there. Why can't you just sit out here and wait by yourself? Theodore and I have more important things to attend such as our core classes!"

"We skipped breakfast to get here early," complained Theodore, "And now we're going to be late!" The youngest Chipmunk stroked his empty tummy. Starting his day off without food was hard enough on the boy, but making him late on top of that was just so typical of Alvin.

Just then, Brittany and her sisters turned the corner. The two younger chipettes were in a hurry; Jeanette was practically falling over herself to keep from being late, and Eleanor was panting and struggling with her stack of textbooks. Brittany lingered behind them, a smug grin on her face. She was either unaware of the time, or couldn't care less. And why would she care? She was the hottest act of Rock and Roll. Who needs school when you've got unmatched talent?

Alvin had grown to dislike that look of overbearing self-esteem. How dare she be so confident! It was practically a crime!

"Just a second," assured Alvin to his brothers, stepping toward his female counterpart. Simon and Theodore responded with their usual groans of annoyance, seating themselves back on the ledge of the school's statue of Thomas A. Edison.

"It's about time you showed up!" reprimanded Alvin, nearing Brittany until they were an arms length apart, "Why are you late? Did you spend too much time this morning on your hair?"

"And why're you so_ early,_ Alvin?" She shot back, "You look tired! Did you run out of tears to cry yourself to sleep?"

"Oh you're quite a comedian," said Alvin dryly, "You won't be so fiery and filled to the brim with confidence once I tell you what my new challenge is going to be!"

"Dear me! I'm trembling!" she responded sarcastically, "Oh Alvin! Please go easy on li'l old me! My poor heart just can't take the pressure!"

"Well I'm glad you think you're so grand, Brittany, because I'm going not going easy on you this time!"

"What's wrong, Alvin? Afraid I'll bet you again at your own game _again?_"

"Fat chance!" Scoffed Alvin, the volume of his voice escalating. While the two were firing back at each other, they'd been drawing in a crowd. The heated discussion continued as voices from the gathering crowd mumbled incessantly in confusion.

"This time, we're doing things the way _I_ want!" He declared, "I challenge you to a competition of athletics!"

"What kind of athletics, Mr. Has-Been? Because as I recall, I _already_ beat you at that one when I proved I was a better quarterback! Have you forgotten that already?" Brittany mocked, her hands sassily rested on her hips.

The crowd of spectators responded immediately to her put-down with quiet chuckles and murmuring. Who could forget the day when it was official that beauty queen and mega-diva Brittany Miller was actually a far better quarterback than the lady-killing heartthrob Alvin Seville? Alvin held his breath, restraining himself from an insult spree, his face nearly purple with embarrassment. After taking his title of most talented performer, she still had the audacity to humiliate him by bringing up his shamefully shortcomings?

"Oh, it's _SO_ on!" Alvin yelled over the jabbering of the crowd, "YOU. ME. The track field tomorrow after school! Be there or forfeit!"

"And what is it we'll be competing for, hm?" replied Brittany calmly, filing her nails casually.

"We're having a test to prove who's faster, stronger, and a more worthy athlete!"

"And what happens when I win? Oh wait! Let me choose my prize..."

Brittany examined Alvin and pondered silently to herself for a moment before the idea came upon her - she immediately lit up, "I got it! If I win, you have to buy me whatever I want and carry my bags while I go shopping for three months! Oh and also, if I win, you have to throw away those terrible shoes!" She declared, pointing to Alvin's rockstar shoes. The kids surrounding them responded with laughter and pointing, ridiculing Alvin with "Oh's" and "Ah's." Brittany was promoting more of his embarrassment by the minute! If Alvin was any angrier, he would've been blowing smoke out of his ears by now.

"Fine! Whatever you want!" Yelled Alvin, "But if I win, you won't be going shopping for three months! Oh, and during that shopping hiatus, you also won't be going to get any manicures!"

The crowd gasped. Brittany's eyes widened. Alvin wasn't done.

"Or pedicures!"

Gasp!

"Or hair styling!"

Gasp!

"Or facials!"

Gasp!

"...and lastly, you have to hand over all of your singing solos to ME in our upcoming concerts!"

GASP!

Brittany was taken aback! Not only was she in jeopardy of losing her beloved shopping and spa treatments, but she was also risking her spotlight privileges for a whole three months! On Brittany's clock, that was practically forever - especially since she'd brought the house down with her last solo performance!

She took a moment to think about his proposition. If she agreed to it and lost, she'd be sacrificing her dignity as an individual and a performer. If she didn't agree to it, Alvin was going to mock her and aggravate her for the rest of the time they're together; and they were together quite a bit. She could just see it now: the two of them will be eighty years old with one foot in the grave and Alvin will still be pointing his finger and taunting her for turning down his little wager back when they weren't even fully grown. It chilled Brittany to the core. How could she not accept the challenge? It was her nature - competition was in her blood.

"It's a DEAL!" She challenged, breaking the suspended silence, "tomorrow, after school! I'll be there, Alvin!"

"Good! I can't _wait_!" Snarled Alvin. With that, he picked up his backpack, slung it around his shoulder and stomped off to class, pushing through the crowd of stunned classmates.

"B-but Brittany! I-if Alvin wins, you won't be able to be representing us as the lead singer of the Chipettes!" Warned Eleanor, "Alvin will regain all of your popularity! I-it'll be like you didn't win the last contest of who's the better musician!"  
"Brittany! Please! For your own sake, at least try to negotiate with Alvin!" Begged Jeanette. Simon and Theodore joined the girls on their way into the school's front entryway.  
"Being his brother, I can safely say that won't work." Said Simon regretfully, "Once Alvin gets something in his head, he's too stubborn to let it go - he must go through with it with no exceptions."  
"Alvin's still really upset about last week's competition..." sighed Theodore, "He's been planning this ever since then. I-i just hope he doesn't go overboard with it like he usually does!"  
"Chances are he will, Theodore. This is Alvin we're talking about." replied Simon, adjusting his glasses.  
"I don't CARE if he's upset about last week!" yelled Brittany defiantly, "I won fair and square! I don't care if his ego is bruised or not! I worked hard for my victory!"  
Nobody could argue with that! Brittany certainly shined on stage that night and it was still something that none of them will ever forget! Brittany broke her own limits; defied her own boundaries.  
However, so did Alvin...

Eleanor caught up with Brittany, juggling her books as they passed several homerooms, "That's true, Brittany, but don't you think that-"  
"If you're trying to get me to back down, you can just forget about that! I refuse! What do you take me for, a wimp? I'm not- OW!"

Suddenly, Brittany stopped in the middle of the hallway, stumbling as she tried to continue down the hall. The two younger Chipettes flocked to her side.  
"Brittany! A-are you alright?!" exclaimed Jeanette.  
"What happened?!" Asked Eleanor, inspecting Brittany carefully.  
"I-it's nothing. Really." lied Brittany. She bit her lips as pain rippled up each of her legs to her spine, "I-i'm just...uh...l-let's get to class, shall we? We're going to be late!"

* * *

**Thanks for reading, you guys! **

**So what is Alvin planning to set up on the track field? What is wrong with Brittany? Who will win? It's time for round two!**

**Again, sorry for the late and short chapter! **

**Reviews are helpful and very appreciated!**

**-Blythe**


	7. A New Competition

**Ehehe...h-hey guys...**

**Wow, it's been quite a while since I updated this story. Four months is a long time... But do not worry! I will not let that much time come between my updates anymore! ...At least I hope not...**

**I'm so sorry for my lack of updates on all my stories. Things around here are so busy and I'm barely home with school, work, applying for college and all the rest...**

**Anyway, I wrote this little bit for you guys as a prelude to the next chapter, which will be a big one! This isn't supposed to be a big chapter, but I hope it gives you guys a hint as to what to expect from the next one!**

**Hope you like!**

**-Blythe**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

****The Next Day:

"Brittany, I-I don't think this is such a good idea... M-maybe you should call this competition off... f-for the sake of your own health!"

The two younger Miller sisters congregated around Brittany as she sat on Miss Miller's antique chest in the center of their room. It was morning in the Miller house, and just like every morning, they were waiting on Brittany to finish getting dressed before taking their usual route to school. However, they all knew that today would be a different kind of day for the three of them - today, Brittany was standing up against Alvin for round two of their two-person tournament. The purple clad chipette looked closely at her elder sister's foot, still noticing the traces of blue and dark gray spots where bruises had formed a week previous.

"Eleanor's right, Brittany. I-it's might jeopardize your health if you keep injuring your feet like this!" she took a closer gander, becoming more worried about the color of her ankles, "Last week was bad enough... a-and you still can't walk straight because of it! Please back out of the competition, Brittany!"

"Are you kidding?! There's no WAY I'm backing out of this one! I mean, it's practically an easy win!" bragged Brittany, pulling the strawberry blonde locks of her hair into her usual high ponytail, "Just imagine how great it's going to be for me knowing that I best Alvin at not only being a musician, but also beating him as an athlete! I can't wait to see the look on his face when I take the gold medal once again!"

Typical Brittany. If ever there was a perfect personification to the phrase "don't put all your eggs in one basket," it was undoubtedly the very definition of the eldest chipette's most prominent character flaw - unfathomable brashness. Aside from her infamous pig-headedness, Brittany had the stubborn traits most gamblers had the misfortune of possessing...and the kind that would most likely end up doing more damage than good. It was also fair to say that her male counterpart encompassed the very same stubborn disposition, which most likely explained their constant opposition. With the knowledge of the record the two shared for holding one-on-one compeitions with one another, the remaining two chipettes always found it a mystery how the two were still good friends with one another through all of their candidacy.

"But Brittany... I hope you haven't forgotten what he said you'll be giving up if you lose..."

The eldest chipette ignored her younger sister's warning, slipping on her daily pair of periwinkle leg-warmers. The bespectacled chipette continued.

"...You won't be able to go shopping...o-or get a spa treatments...And knowing Alvin, he won't be able to forget the fact that you lost-"

"But I won't be losing!" interrupted Brittany with unyielding confidence, "why worry so much about something I'm going to win anyway?"

"Because we all know how Alvin gets when he doesn't win something," informed Jeanette, "he's a sore loser."

"Yeah," joined Eleanor, "a-and this time, HE'S setting everything up! How do you know he hasn't set a few traps?"

After slipping into her usual pair of pink patton shoes, Brittany approached her vanity mirror and applied her makeup, disregarding the other two in the room, "Don't be ridiculous! You two are worrying over nothing. Besides, my feet are feeling much better than they were last week! The bruises are beginning to fade."

Eleanor and Jeanette exchanged worried glances, each pair of eyes reflecting worry for their older sister, "but-"

"But nothing. I'm going to compete against that little fungus today and win like I always do! You guys can help me by cheering me on, how about that?"

The sisters sighed in response, finally realizing the uselessness of their admonishments. It was no use trying to pull brittany in a direction she wouldn't go; it would be just as hopeless as trying to build a protective dam during a tsunami.

"Yes, Brittany."

"Great! Now would you two like to help me pack my sports wear for this afternoon?"

* * *

"Who does she think she is, hm?! 'Hey, look at me! I'm Brittany Miller! I think I'm better than Alvin in every way because I'm the lead chipette!'"

"Alvin..."

"Oh, look! Let's all bow down to Brittany the drama queen! She's perfect and right about everything, not to mention better looking and NOT annoying at all!"

"Good grief... Alvin-"

"I mean, you don't see ME walking around all high and mighty, pretending that I'm better than HER at everything!"

"But Alvin-"

"She thinks that just because she beat me at one little competition that she can just trump me at everything! Well she's wrong! I'll show her-"

"ALVIN!" shouted the bespectacled chipmunk, halting his brother's angry ramblings. Simon retained his composure, pushing the bridge of his glasses back up the slope of his nose. It was beyond a doubt that Alvin was once again a sore loser, which meant one-thing; he was plotting another ingenius scheme to reestablish himself as the top-dog of all competition-related activites. This wasn't the first time this kind of thing had happened - in fact, competitive streaks like this happen almost monthly between him and Brittany. It was no secret that the two practically lived to exceed the abilities of the other. The two may have been close friends when it came to everything else, but the solid foundation of their relationship relied on the essential purpose of 'I can do it better than you.'

With knowledge of the traits the two shared, it was always up to Simon, Theodore and their Chipette counterparts to keep the two from killing each other. Much of the time, the remaining four of them were unsuccessful at accomplishing such a task, therefore many of their shenanigans lead to disaster - which is where the direction of their new rivalry was headed.

"Tone down the animosity, will you?! It's aggravating!" scolded Simon. He took a moment to cool down before beginning again, "Alvin, you do realize that if the two of you don't quit challenging one another, you'll always be at war, right?"

Alvin leaned against the hallway lockers with an obvious display of his usual obstinant nature, his lips thinned into a frustrated line. He was less than pleased about this assumption.

"What makes you think I'll NEED to beat her again once I win this time? Perhaps she'll finally see the light of day - the truth that she's not better than me!"

"And just what are you planning to do this time in order to prove that hypothesis, Alvin?"

The red clad brother replied with a cheeky grin; the one commonly identified as a warning sign in the Seville household (or anywhere else, for that matter). In simpler words, this meant trouble.  
Alvin motioned for Simon to follow him, turning on his heels and heading in the direction of the back exit of the school. The bespectacled chipmunk already regretted asking that question; he knew that when it came to competition, Alvin always had a few spare aces up his sleeves. What would it be this time? Was it a booby trap Alvin had constructed especially for Brittany? Or perhaps some sort of carefully engineered contraption that-...no, wait...thought Simon, this is Alvin we're talking about. He's not mechanically inclined enough to do such a thing overnight.  
But at the same time, Simon knew never to underestimante Alvin's competitive side...

When Alvin opened the door to the back of the school, what was revealed was so much more rigorous than Simon expected - Alvin had built an entire triathalon-styled arena on the school property in the middle of the track field. Where Alvin got the equipment to do so was far beyond Simon's apprehension.  
Dumbfounded, Simon gawked at the newly decorated field: mats spread out from one side of the field to the other, thick nylon rope layed vertically in the centerfield, neon flags of all colors at each station, dumbels and barbels of five different sizes, rubber playing balls of every sport lined up outside of the track, two dozen tires layed flat on the ground, a rope netting hurdle... far too many things to describe!

"Alvin..." began the more sensible chipmunk of the two, trying not seem seem as overwhelmed as he was feeling, "PLEASE tell me that nothing on this field has anything to do with the competition between you and Brittany...?"

There was silence.

"Ehehehe...well...actually..."

"Alvin! Do you know how much trouble you can get into for doing all this?!"

"Oh, lighten up! It's not like I installed a gigantic in-ground swimming pool in the center of the track!" defended Alvin, even though the thought had actually crossed his mind at one point...

"It doesn't matter! You could get kicked out of school for utilizing gym equiptment without permission! It's called unauthorized possession and property violation!"

The red clad boy waited patiently for a moment for a direct translation.

"...STEALING, Alvin!"

"Oh. W-well if I just explained what had happened that brought this on, maybe they-"

"It doesn't work that way! In fact, that might make things worse!"

Suddenly, a third voice joined the conversation between the two siblings. The third brother had been standing behind them listening silently as the two argued for quite some time.

"What are you two yelling about?" inquired the green clad chipmunk as he chowed down on a bag of pretzel sticks. Without requiring an explanation, Theodore knew that his eldest brother had gotten into yet another fix that would be hard to maneuver out of. After all, Alvin's ego and pig-headedness were worn prouder than the giant yellow 'A' on the front of all his shirts!

"Alvin's 'sore-loser syndrome' has doomed the Seville name once again, that's what's happening," complained Simon, combing an exasperated hand through his hair, "And it seems that this neverending cycle of competition isn't going to halt until he gets all of us into trouble!"

"Oh, come on, Simon!" argued the opposing chipmunk, "No one's going to get into trouble for this! Am I really the type of guy who would welcome mischief?"  
The two younger chipmunks were less than impressed with their brother's blatant oblivion. To substitute for what they wanted to say, they simply stared at him.  
"Okay, okay...so I've gotten into a few pickles in my time. Who hasn't?"

Again, the brothers said nothing.

Simon crossed his arms over his chest, "Good Grief. At least if you're going to do something stupid, don't try to justify the cause!"

"I still don't see what all the fuss is about! I'm going to put everything back after it's all over!"

"That wouldn't make your case any better! Haven't you learned anything from last week when you broke all those stagelights?!"

"Yep! But don't worry, Simon. There won't be any stagelights this time around," assured Alvin.

Taking a break from the argument, he peered down at his wristwatch: 3:07pm. It was almost time for the games to begin. He would have to meet Brittany behind the school in eight minutes.

"As much as I'd love to stick around and bicker with you, I have a date with a lovely maiden named Victory. If you'd like, you are welcome to bear witness to my glory when I beat Brittany this afternoon. If the idea displeases you, feel free to walk home with Theodore. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go get dressed into my sweatpants."

With that, the eldest chipmunk closed the back doors and headed off down the hall toward the gymnasium, disappearing into the boys locker room.

Silence lingered between the two remaining brothers. Theodore peered up at Simon, his mouth still full of mashed pretzel sticks.  
"...we have to go watch, don't we?" he asked. Simon nodded slowly, defeated and out of ideas to stop Alvin's scheme from happening.

"Unfortunately, yes. But I'm not cheering for him..."

Sometimes there was nothing worse to Simon than Alvin's perseverance.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, guys! I hope to be updating a bit quicker next time! **

**So...who will win this battle? Will Brittany's feet prevent her from taking the gold a second time? ...or will Alvin win this one?**

**Reviews are appreciated!**


End file.
